Friday, August 10, 2012

DUBAI Over 200 Filipinos have embraced Islam since Ramadan began in July, XPRESS has learnt.

“This is only our rough estimate and we
really don’t want to parade or make a big deal out of these numbers,”
said Wafa Kasimieh, a Filipina senior advisor to Dubai’s Islamic Affairs
and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD). “Kabayans are walking in
every day to embrace Islam at various Islamic centres across Dubai, so
it’s hard to keep track.”

Kasimieh was speaking at an iftar on
Wednesday night attended by over 100 new Filipino Muslims in Dubai. The
iftar was organised by IACAD and graced by Philippine Consul General to
Dubai Benito Valeriano and Labour Attache Delmer Cruz.

One of the recent converts in Dubai is
Malak Arias, 37, who left Catholicism and changed her name Christina to
Malak. “I used to visit Islamic centres in Abu Dhabi, Karama and Deira
to attend classes. It took me five years to come to a decision that I
needed to go back to the religion of my forefathers,” said the civil
engineer from Paranaque. “Many of our heroes like Lapu-Lapu, the ruler
of Mactan, and Rajah Sulaiman, the ruler of Manila when the Spanish
colonisers came, were Muslims.”

But more than her country’s history,
what guided her decision was personal. “In the past, whenever I had
problems,” said Malak, “I would simply cry non-stop. The emotional
turmoil within me was just too heavy. The only relative I have here is
my brother, who is usually away due to his work. Now, I have found a big
family among the Muslim sisters here. I’m still a baby in my new faith,
but I understand enough to guide me to this decision,” said Malak, who
earned her civil engineering degree from the Technological Institute of
the Philippines (TIP).

Josephine Lazona, 32, chose Aisha as
her Muslim name when she embraced Islam on July 20, the first day of
Ramadan this year. Aisha grew up a Catholic in Sultan Kudarat. The
former teacher moved to Dubai in 2008 to work as an administrative
assistant in Jebel Ali. “In February, I enrolled in a free Arabic class.
All this time, I’ve been searching for answers to difficult questions
about my faith,” she said. “As I progressed with my Arabic, my mind was
opened. I’ve been seeking answers for years and asked God for a sign,
which I got on the night of July 19th when I thought of cooking my
favourite pork ‘adobo’ (a popular Filipino dish). Suddenly, I had an
unexplained aversion to it. Even the thought of cooking pork adobo made
me feel like throwing up.”

The next day, she told her Arabic
teacher about her desire to become a Muslim. “My teacher, Sister Ana,
was shocked. She never talked to me about converting to Islam. I came to
this decision on my own.”

A former born-again Christian, Noriel
Magtanong, 36, from Bicol, chose Nuh (Arabic for Noah) as his new Muslim
name. “I used to join Christian services, yet I remained an alcoholic.
Meanwhile, I’ve been observing Muslims as they pray. One early morning, I
woke up and walked around in Dubai and saw them praying. It was a
perfect moment. I wanted to surrender myself to God like they do. I saw
their spirit of unity, despite their differences. Now, I’ve kicked
alcohol altogether.”

Conversions among Filipinos are common
in Dubai. In 2010, a total of 125 women from the Philippines embraced
Islam. Ahmad Malagueno, 44, a Dubai aircraft maintenance technician who
embraced Islam seven years ago, teaches Arabic at Al Sahhaba Centre in
Abu Hail on Fridays.

“Before, I used to hate Muslims — but
it turned out it was due to my own ignorance. Today, I see Filipinos
here embracing Islam almost every day. On July 27, I saw 25 people
embracing Islam after a symposium conducted by Filipino Islamic
preacher. Only Allah knows the actual numbers today.”